Having forsaken the luxuries (and higher rents) of living alongside the Skytrain, I am faced with the brutal task of confronting Bangkok rush hour traffic on a daily basis, swearing that each time I step into a packed bus and have to wait 35 min- utes through four red lights that I am moving immediately to Koh Chang… or that I am going to become a serial killer, I’m not sure which. Fortunately, my sanity is pleasantly restored when I realize that there is a far better option, that of riding the boat along the Khlong Saen Saeb.

Bangkok has historically relied on water transport for moving goods as well as people. The City of Angels was known as the “Venice of the East” for a good reason, as the canal system here was actually much more extensive than its Ital- ian counterpart. Many of the roads in Bangkok today are merely filled-in canals, or khlongs as they are known in Thai. Unfortunately, many of the khlongs and the boats that grace them are disappearing, but the Saen Saeb, one of the city’s longest waterways, still has a daily run that makes for fun day tripping, as well as a lifeline for the beleaguered resident.

The Khlong Saen Saeb used to connect all the way to the Chao Phraya River, but construction has put a stop to that, and the boats now start and end at the Phra Pan Fa pier near the Golden Mount. The boats run east, heading into the heart of town, terminating at Pratunam near the World Trade Center and Big C.

But, the canal continues on from there, and one’s ticket is valid for onward travel on a different boat, requiring a quick shuffle from one boat to another. Eastbound boats travel out from Pratunam, stopping at virtually every major intersection on the east-west grid: Chidlom, Phloenchit, Nana Nua, Asok/Petchaburi, Phrom Pong, Thong Lor, and Ekkamai, paralleling Petchaburi Road all the way into Khlong Tan. From Khlong Tan, the canal swings north, and heads up past the Mall in Hua Mark, Ramkamhaeng University, and Lad Phrao, continuing all the way to the Mall in Bangkapi, with the final stop (currently) being Wat Si Boon Nua. An extension, all the way to Minburi, is planned for next year.

The canal boats can seat about 70 people, with more than 100 packed on during rush hour. The seats are rather low and uncomfortable, and when it is hot out, it can get rather sticky. Curtains are drawn up along the sides of the boat to prevent waves from the khlong, generated by passing boats, from spraying in. The better option is to stand in the back, near the sides, so as to get the full spray from the turbulence, as well as to admire the vistas of the Bangkok skyline, and the old homes, beds of flowers, and relics of a life gone by that grace the sides of the canal. Looking carefully, one will notice that there are walkways that paral- lel the canal all the way from Khlong Tan to Pratunam, making it possible to ride a bike or walk practically a third of the way across Bangkok without ever seeing a car.

(The Khlong Way Home, continued on page 9)